Cover for steering wheel rims



June 28, 193 E, son 2,121,963

COVER FOR STEERING WHEEL RIMS Filed Feb. 1, 1937 KENNETH .E 6 0/7- ATTORNEYS 35 used in hea Patented June 28, 1 938 PATENT OFFICE oovaa Foa srnaamo wnaar. anus Kenneth E. Goit,

Minneapolis,

" "Application February 1,. 1931, Serlal No. 123,379

-f. v 5 ["This invention relates to imp m i particularly adapted for use on automobile steering wheel r'ims' or handles and has for an object to provide an easily attachable and remov- '3 able covering which will entirely cover'the'rim and which will not slip .circumferentially, and

l 1 which will substantially prevent conduction of Q "wheat or cold from the rim to the hands of the driver. Asis well known the ordinary steering I" Wheels feel" cold to the hands in wi and warm to the hands in summer and thusto such an extent as to make it markedly noticeable and uncomfortable to some drivers. Driving with cold hands is particularly objectionableyevendan- A particular object therefore "is to. eliminate or materially reduce conductlomand make for the maximum of comfort. 1 Im aware that various attempts have been made to providea practicable device of this kind,

but those devices with which I .am acquainted are clumsy or expensive ,or inefllcient and:have been I attached by metal plates on straps attached to plates. In some instances snap fasteners have 1 1. been used, Metal pl tes scratch the rim and fastening devices are generally objectionable.

I have found that to make a practicable, device a base material, preferably elastic in nature 1 should be. provided, and such material should act to prevent circumferential slipping. On this base should be mounted integrally, a layer of nonj conducting materiaL.

'1 have experimented with various materials and have found that heavy piled .fabrics commonly I vy clothing can be attached to an elastic base such as rubber, by cementing or by vulcanization in a mold or by a dipping process. I have also found that various types of fur, such asofsheep, rabbit, and fursof other animals can 1' be combined with an elastic base by cementing or vulcanization to give a durable neat and emcient device atrelativcly small cos I have also found that light leather like suede, is plicable for sum meruse and this material can be cemented or givulcanized on the rubber 'or elastic tubular base in the same manner as pile or pelage materials, such as woven fabrics and furs,

Another object of this invention is .to provide a non conductingcover which will not slip cir-. "so cum'ferentially, and which can be quickly applied and removed,.all without the use of hooks, eyes, snap fasteners or othermetallic or leather bands or'fastenings. I I "Another object is to provide a device which is :21. neatin appearance and'whiohwill fit therein snugly and cover substantially the entire rim, so that there can be practically no direct contact between the rim and the hand of the user. 7

I Another object late so construct the elastic base ring that no great amount of stretch is nec- 5 essary in applying it to the rim, and so that after application the base is under onlylittle if any elastic stretch or tension stress. This is accomplished by making the inner circumference of the base substantially equal to the outer circumfer- 1 ence of the rim. '1

'I have also found it advisable in some instances to cut woven fabric material on the bias to obtain the greatest amount of stretch possible so that although the fabric isintegrally attached to 1;; the rubber'it may to some extent stretch with the rubber. This bias cutting may in some instances be dispensed'with and I provide for, stretch of a the rubber independently of anystretch ofthenon-conducting :layer, by end abutting portions 20 *of the layer, whereby to provide for separation at the joint and thus allow the' band to be stretched over the wheel and thereafter to closely conform to the rim, but not necessarily under tension.

Inasmuch as I believe myself the first to vul-' 5 canize or cement a non-conducting material to a tubular rubber base for the purpose herein I claim the device either in the form of a single segment or, plurality of segments abutting or nonabutting and which are split to be easily applied or to provide a ring which can be placed over the rim in the manner of a rubber band to thereafter engage the rim both circumferentially and transversely. I a

Features include all details of construction 5:, shown along with the broader ideas of means inherent in the disclosure.

Objects, features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description of the drawing forming part of this application, and in 40 said drawing- Figure 1 is a plan view of a steering, or equivalent, wheel showing my device applied to the rim, and showing a single piece base ring and a single piece cover layerthereon, the ends of the layer beng abutted bu't separable;

Figure 2 is a view of a modification of a cover in which the non-conducting material is in three sections with the ends abutted but separableto allow of a greater degree of stretch of the base ring;

Figure 3 is a transverse section on line 3-4 of Figure 1 illustrating how the device conforms to the configuration of the wheel transversely and showing the outer covering material to be a woven pile fabric; i

Figure 4 is a fragmentary longitudinal section showing how the ends of the non-conducting material are end abutted to allow stretch of the inner elastic layer or base;

Figure 5 shows the stretching action in the neighborhood of the abutted ends;

Figure 6 is a diagrammatic view showing the various layers in relation to one another and in relation to the rim;

Figure 7 is a transverse section similar to Figure 3 but showing a modification in which pelage or fur such, as sheep wool, is used as a covering material;

Figure 8 is a fragmentary view representing a woven piece fabric and illustrating how the nonconducting material is cut therefrom on the bias:

Figure 9 is a fragmentary view of a piece of any suitable peiage showing how this non-conducting material is also cut on the bias; and

Figure 10 is a view of a modification in which the base material is not elastic except for a small elastic insert, in the region of which the cover layer ends are abutted and made separable.

In the drawing, numeral I indicates the rim of a steering wheel the spokes of which are indicated at 2, and hub at3. Referring first to Figures 3 and 6, numeral l0 generally indicates a tubular base of elastic material, preferably of thin flexible rubber of uniform thickness and having an inside surface area substantially equal to that of the surface area of the rim. This tubular base is split circumferentially at its inner side as at H, to facilitate introduction over the rim, to the position shown in Figures 1 and 3.

The base material is preferably thin and of uniform thickness so that it has little or no gripping action on the rim. The material usually initially conforms transversely in about the manner shown in Figure 3 and the inner edges of the slitted portion are completely brought against the inner side of the rim by gripping action.

Attached to the outside of this elastic base material is a layer l2 of relatively non-elastic material which is substantially a non-conductor of heat and cold. This material is attached by cementing or by vulcanizing. The numeral [3 indicates some connecting material which is meant to represent a cement or to represent an area of vulcanization. In any event this outer layer is integrally attached, and its material may be woven napped fabric or the fur of animals. Leather may be used or any other material which is non-heat and cold conducting, but a heavy napped woven material is preferred because of its feel to the hand and because of its cheapness, and because it can be cut on the bias to condition it to stretch to some extent. This layer l2 whatever the material covers substantially the entire outer surface of the tubular base as shown in Figure 3.

The rim cover as a whole is so designed that when it is in position on the wheel the rubber base is not under any substantial-elastic tension.

In other words, the rubber material is not under any appreciable stretch. The fit, however, is sufliciently snug so that the 'base will not slip circumferentially with reference to the rim.

The cover material l2 whether made from animal pelage or from woven fabric is preferably cut onthe bias as indicated atlB in Figure 8, the vertical shade lines I! indicating the warp threads of the woven fabric. The lines I8 of Figure 9 indicate that the non-conducting material when out from pelt is also cut on the bias with reference to a line l9 which extends longitudinally of the skin.

By thus cutting the fabric or pelage a slight degree of stretch is allowed but generally speaking the tubular base and the covering may be considered respectively as elastic and non-elastic. To permit suflicient stretch therefor of the tubular base to allow of its application to the rim, the covering material is split as at 20 and the end portions are abutted but separable, see Figures 4 and 5.

The shading 2| in Figure 5 represents the stretched areas of the base material, and it is seen that the ends 22 of the cover material l2 are separated. This stretch is suflicient as before stated to allow introduction over the wheel. After introduction the ends 22 again assume the end-abutted relation shown in Figures 1, 2 and 4. The base ring before application to the wheel is flexible and is easily'handled. It may be spoken of as limp".

In Figure 2 the covering is shown as composed of three sections with ends abutted at 26, 21, and 28. Of course in the device as made the lines of abutment are hardly discernible so that a very neat appearance is obtained particularly when woven fabric or leather is used as a covering. In Figure '7 has been shown a modification in which sheep wool is used. This wool is indicated at and it is attached by any suitable means indicated at 3| such as by vulcanization or cementing to the elastic tubular base l0.

Another modification is shown in Figure 10, in which the tubular base is of non-elastic material, and has therein one or more elastic inserts 36. 'The ends of the non-conducting material areabutted, but separable as at 38, and the cover material is attached by cement or vulcanization as at 39. J

I believe myself the first to integrally attach non-conducting material to a base which can be held in place withoutthe use of devices other than are inherent in the structure of the base itself.

I claim as my invention:

1. A cover for the rim of a vehicle steering wheel consisting of a continuous unbroken tubular inner ring of elastic material and a nonelastic tubular outer ring of non-he'at-and-cold conducting material encircling the inner ring and secured thereto, said outer ring being split to permit stretch of the inner ring in the region of said split, said two rings also being split circumferentially at their inner sides to facilitate introduction, by stretching the inner ring, over the rim.

2. A cover for the rim of a vehicle steering wheel consisting of a continuous unbroken tubular inner ring of elastic material and anonelastic outer ring of non-heat and cold conducting material encircling the inner ring and secured thereto, said outer ring being transversely divided with the end portions thereof in abutted but separable relation to permit stretch of the inner ring in the region of abutment, said two rings also being split circumferentially at their inner sides to facilitate introduction, by stretching the inner ring, over the rim.

3. A'cover for the rim of a vehicle steering wheel consisting of a continuous unbroken tubularinner ring of elastic material ands an. expansible non-heat and cold conducting outer ring of woven iabrie encircling and lecured to the inner ring, said two rinzs helm split circumier entially at their inner sides' to permit the cover to beexpanded over the rim.

4. A cover for the rim oi a vehicle steering 7 wheel consisting of a continuous unbroken tubular inner ring oi elastic material and a non-heat and cold conducting expansible outer ring coma circumferential] extending strip of ierentially at their inner sides to permit the cover to be expanded over the rim. i w

5. A cover for the rim 01' a vehicle steering wheel consisting of a continuous unbroken tubular inner ring of elastic material and a separate,

non-heat and cold conducting expansible outer ring oi pile material encircling and secured to the inner ring, said two rings being split circumferentially of their inner sides to permit the cover to be expanded over the rim.

mm n. corr. 

